Madinat Hamad or ''Hamad Town'' ( ar, مدينة حمد, Madīnat Ḥamad) is a primarily
commuter city within northern
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. It was a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
in the central part of the country. Split from the municipality of
Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah in 1991, its territory is now in the
Northern Governorate
The Northern Governorate ( ar, المحافظة الشمالية , translit=Al-Muḥāfaẓat aš-Šamālīyah) is one of the four governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Minta ...
. Its name refers to the current
king of Bahrain
The King of the Kingdom of Bahrain ( ar, ملك مملكة البحرين) is the monarch and head of state of Bahrain. The House of Khalifa has been the ruling family since 1783. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of ha ...
,
Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa
Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ( ar, حمد بن عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة '; 28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999.
He is the son of Isa bin Salman ...
. The city is culturally diverse, housing a proportionally mixed Shia-Sunni population of varying socio-economic backgrounds. Today, Hamad Town is an epitome of Bahraini multiculturalism, with no single ethnic or religious group making up the majority of inhabitants.
History
Hamad Town was set up in 1984 as a 'housing town' where the government built council houses for those who could not afford the ever increasing house prices in other parts of the country. In 1990 the government opened the door of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
to the Kuwaiti people who were suffering from the effects of the
gulf war
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
with
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. It provided free houses and schools in Hamad Town allowed them to use the town's facilities. The Kuwaitis returned home in early 1991 at the end of the war. In 2001 the government gave the council houses to the people of Hamad town for free.
Geography
Hamad Town is 18 km from the capital
Manama
Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
and 19 km from the airport. It is close to the
Sakhir
Sakhir ( ) is a desert area located in the Southern Governorate of Bahrain, near Zallaq. It contains the Al-Sakhir Palace, built in 1870.
Camping in Sakhir during the winter months is a popular activity in the country.
Notable sites
In the earl ...
area, which contains the huge
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
motor racing circuit (
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit ( ar, حلبة البحرين الدولية, Ḥalba al-Baḥrayn ad-Dawliyya) is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrai ...
), which is the biggest circuit in the Middle East.
Hamad Town is famous for its 22 roundabouts. Residential addresses are based on the number of the nearest roundabout. By 2005 the population of the town was 52718. It has now supplanted Isa Town in regard to population-density ranking.
Law and government
Hamad Town is part of the North Governorate, one of five governorates of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. However, governorates are forbidden from passing their own laws and must abide by all national laws of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Economy
The people of Hamad Town tend to go the capital
Manama
Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
to work. Most of Hamad Town is a residential area but there is a large shopping centre called Sooq Waqif which contains many shops and provides some employment in Hamad Town itself.
Mosques
* Kanoo Mosque — Shakh Hamad road, between the second and third roundabouts
* Masjid Al Ajoor — tenth roundabout
Transport
Bahrain International Airport
Bahrain International Airport ( ar, مطار البحرين الدولي, ''maṭār al-Baḥrayn al-dwalī'') is the international airport of Bahrain. Located on Muharraq Island, adjacent to the capital Manama, it serves as the hub for the nat ...
is located 19.7 km from Hamad Town.
Demographics
:Population (2001):166824.
:Density: 1204.16/km²
Neighbourhoods
Major areas close to Hamad Town:
*
Sakhir
Sakhir ( ) is a desert area located in the Southern Governorate of Bahrain, near Zallaq. It contains the Al-Sakhir Palace, built in 1870.
Camping in Sakhir during the winter months is a popular activity in the country.
Notable sites
In the earl ...
*
Al Zallaq
Zallaq ( ar, الزلاق) is a village on the western coast of Bahrain.
Zallaq was the home to the Al-Dawasir, Al-Zeabi and Al-Gahtam and Al-Seddiqi tribes in Bahrain together with Budaiya and Hawar Islands. It is famous for the ''Jazaer Beach'' ...
*
Riffa
Riffa ( ar, الرفاع, ) is the second largest city in the Kingdom of Bahrain by area size. Riffa is divided into three parts: , and . The city is completely located in the Southern Governorate.
The city is growing fast: during the 2001 cen ...
Education
The
University of Bahrain
The University of Bahrain ( ar, جامعة البحرين , informally Bahrain University, abbreviated as UOB) is the largest public university in the Kingdom of Bahrain with campuses in Sakhir, Isa Town and Manama, the university has more than ...
has its main campus near Hamad Town (Sukheer).
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in Bahrain
Former municipalities (regions) of Bahrain